Part 1: Attack on Kyoto
Samael
"When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings."
Himi Residence
Otsu, Kyoto
Wednesday, April 11th, 2018
10:21 A.M
"Mom! Dad!" Tommy called into the house after Raidramon had rammed the door open. "Are you here?" He followed the armor Digimon into the building, being careful to let him check all corners, wary of any members of the digital army that might be here. After clearing the first floor, Raidramon slide digivolved into Flamedramon and started upstairs. He checked the rooms quickly, determining that the house was deserted.
"I'm sorry Tommy." Flamedramon nodded. "It looks like they haven't been back here." They had checked the Himi residence periodically over the last week, with nothing to show for it.
"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find them eventually." Tommy smiled weakly. "We should head back to the hotel."
"It's odd that we haven't found them yet," Flamedramon noted as they departed the residence. "We've been combing Otsu for days and we haven't found any traces of any other refugees yet, or holdouts from the digital army either."
"They must have all gone over the hill to Kyoto by now." Tommy looked over at the Kyoto skyline.
"That's certainly a possibility." Flamedramon agreed. "Any stragglers from the digital army might have retreated to safer territories, taking any hostages with them."
"It might be time to move out of Otsu and into Kyoto." Tommy suggested. "We haven't had a sighting all week. They must have moved on by now."
"Agreed." Flamedramon nodded. "We'll bring it up to the others when we return." Slide evolving into Raidramon, he allowed Tommy onto his back, and took off down the streets towards the Otsu Prince Hotel. Once they were gone, a Gizumon appeared from the side of the house, quietly trailing behind them.
Otsu Prince Hotel
11:00 A.M
"It looks nice and quiet out there." Takuya stood on the roof of the Otsu Hotel, Dinoster at his side. They overlooked the courtyard below, which was more peaceful than it had been all week.
"A little bit too quiet if you ask me." Koji replied. He was walking back and forth in a line behind Takuya, while Majester lazily spun around in the air above him. "We haven't seen any members of the digital army in days."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Mimi sat on an air conditioner a short distance away, with Palmon. "Less fighting is better for everyone, isn't it?"
"Normally I'd agree," Koji replied, "But we're in a war. If we want to win, we need to know what the enemy is doing. It feels safe right now, but the enemy could be just over the hill, planning something."
"Koji might have a point," Takuya agreed, "And if we ever want to push the digital army out of Kyoto, we need to start doing exactly that: pushing out into the city."
"Sorry Mimi, but if we want to get any further, we're going to have to go looking for trouble." Palmon patted her partner on her knee.
"It looks like we've all had the same thought." Veemon came from the stairwell with Tommy and Willis behind him. "Tommy and I were discussing the same thing on our way back."
"Any luck?" Koji looked to Tommy, who shook his head somberly. "Don't worry, we'll find them eventually."
"Veemon and I think what was left of the digital army in Otsu might've taken hostages and fled into Kyoto." Tommy replied. "That might be where my parents are."
"Then we should be making plans to go into Kyoto as soon as possible." Takuya determined, looking out over the hills towards the main city, where rising pillars of smoke could still be seen.
"Hold on Takuya," Koji spoke, "We can't all go into Kyoto. What if the digital army shows up back in Otsu without us to protect it?"
"No way man, we've got to stick together. We're a team." Takuya argued.
"Koji might be right." Mimi added. "We'd be putting all these people in danger if all of us left. Even with Monmon and the other rookies, if any Captain shows up they'd be outmatched immediately."
"But how badly would we fare if we split up?" Takuya cried. "We barely defeated Airdramon when it was the three of us." He pointed to Koji and Mimi. "Besides, the digital army has cleared out of Otsu, why would they come back?"
"There are plenty of reasons for them to come back," Koji replied, "For starters, they're looking for the people who created the virus, correct? That means they're interested in areas with humans. They could have sent more soldiers in to fight us, but they didn't, because all the humans have left Otsu as well, so there's no reason for them to be here. But if people from Kyoto heard that the digital army had no presence in Otsu, they might start migrating here. And if that happened, the digital army would be sure to follow."
"You really think that's why they haven't come back?" Takuya asked somberly.
"I've no doubt about it. We've had some pretty good luck so far, but if they sent a large enough force, they could probably crush us easily."
"Koji is right." Veemon joined the conversation. "We have to take the offensive, attack them where they're strongest, before they decide to mount up a counter offense. Once people realize that Otsu is safe, they'll start flooding in here, and the digital army will be sure to follow."
"We need to do some reconnaissance, figure out how many there are, and in what numbers." Koji proposed.
"Who should go then, and who should stay here?" Palmon asked.
"I should go." Veemon answered. "I'm the fastest as Raidramon, and I can defend myself without aid better than any of you can," He looked to Dinoster, Majester, and Palmon.
"While that's certainly true," Majester responded, "You can't go into that city all by yourself, without any backup."
"I wouldn't be going by myself," Veemon answered, "Tommy would be right there by my side.
"No way. It's too dangerous." Koji protested. "You're not going out there by yourself Tommy."
"Hey, I wouldn't be by myself, weren't you paying attention?" Tommy grumbled.
"You know what I mean. If Veemon becomes engaged, then who will look after you?"
"Who says I need looking after?" Tommy glared at Koji.
"Tommy, I'm sorry but you're just a little kid, and we're talking about major combat here. You need someone by your side. Majester and I should go too." Koji suggested.
"That way, Veemon and I can watch each other's backs while Koji and Tommy protect each other." Majester agreed.
"The less of us that go, the better," Veemon argued, "It's harder to stay stealthy as the group gets bigger."
"If there's only the four of us, we could probably all ride on your back though, correct?" Majester inquired. "We would still be a small enough unit to move around quickly."
"I like this plan." Said Koji. "I think it's the best solution given the circumstances."
"I'm still not comfortable with us splitting up like that." Takuya sighed. "If only there was some way we could stay in contact with each other. Hey Willis, you're good with computers, aren't you? Could you see what you could do about the digital field interfering with our phones and computers?"
"I already tried," Willis answered, "Two days ago. But whatever the digital field does causes the device to malfunction so that it can't connect with anything. I have no idea how to fix it."
"We can't wait for Willis to try to fix a seemingly impossible issue," Veemon added, "The digital army could decide to retaliate at any point. We need to move out as soon as possible."
"It should be tomorrow tonight," Koji agreed, "Under cover of darkness. We can build up some supplies and then head out. Does that sound good with you three?" He looked to Majester, Veemon, and Tommy.
"It seems like our best play, "Majester agreed, while Veemon and Tommy nodded.
"Then let's get ready."
Tofukuji Temple, Kyoto
2:20 P.M
"Blast it all!" Asuramon bashed his fist into the wall, seething as he glared at the communication station near him.
"I'm sorry sir, I just can't figure out what's wrong with it." A Numemon shook nervously behind his own toolbox.
"You are dismissed, Numemon." Asuramon nodded towards the door, and the slime Digimon happily grabbed his toolbox and scurried away. "Nothing has gone right," He grumbled to himself, calmly walking away from the communications station toward his battlefield map. "First this digital resistance springs up all over the city, and now our communications array has failed, preventing me from reporting to and asking for assistance from the generals. If I didn't know any better, I'd say I had a saboteur in my midst." He thought back to three days ago when the communications array first broke down, trying to remember if there were any suspicious characters, but he could not recall anything out of the ordinary.
"Commander Asuramon," Before he could ponder the idea any further, Piddomon flew inside, holding a bundle of papers.
"What is it Piddomon?" Asuramon sighed, hoping there were no further complications.
"You said you wanted a battlefield report as soon as it came in." Piddomon answered, shaking the papers in his hand.
"Good, give me a status report."
"Astamon has reached the western front," Piddomon answered. "His spearhead against the Gizumon in West Kyoto has just begun, but he hasn't encountered any major fighting yet. Blossomon's regiment continues to be pinned down in the south. He sees no chance of breaking the Gizumon's line anytime soon."
"So we're no further than we were when we first came to this blasted city." Asuramon growled. "Very well, that will be all Piddomon." He waved the angel away, who quietly slipped out of the room. "Curse those Gizumon, whatever they are. I expected some attempt at human resistance, but not a digital one."
Uchide Junior High School, Otsu
Thursday, April 12th
6:08 P.M
"There's the school," Koji nodded as Raidramon made his way down the street. He sat atop the thunder Digimon, with Tommy sitting in front of him, both holding onto the barbs on Raidramon's back. They both had backpacks, filled with food and emergency provisions. Majester sat at the front, leaning against the barbs, ready to launch into combat if necessary. Koji and Tommy were to take the next two weeks to investigate the movements of the digital army, and then report back so that the group could make their next move.
"Kyoto is just over this hill." Tommy pointed as Raidramon passed the school. He slowed down as he climbed over the hill, being careful not to arrive at the peak too swiftly. He slunk upwards quietly, taking his time, but when he finally reached the peak, to his relief, there were no Digimon in sight. The group of four surveyed the expansive city of Kyoto laying out in front of them, pillars of smoke continuing to rise from beyond the shrines and fields that lay before them on their way to the metropolis. Koji and Tommy were unnerved by the silence and stillness of the air, the emptiness of the streets feigning thoughts of calmness and serenity within the city. But the boys new better. The deepest circles of hell awaited them within the center of Kyoto.
"Let's get to work." Raidramon said quietly, and then scrambled down the hill.
West Kyoto
8:00 P.M
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" A young boy raced down an alley, daring to risk a glance over his shoulder. His heart jumped when he spotted the trio of machines chasing after him.
"Eliminate all enemies." The three creatures spoke in unison, their monotone voices reverberating throughout the alley.
"Got to find somewhere to hide," He mumbled between heavy breaths, bursting out of the alley at top speed. He spotted a house across the street, and rushed for it. Slamming into the door, he discovered it was open, and slipped inside. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he looked out the window to see if the robots were still following him. To his dismay, they were barreling straight for the house. He jumped down the hallway just as the creatures smashed through the windows and door. He ran towards the back of the house, finding a door in the kitchen, and slipped back outside into the backyard. Jumping the fence, he found himself in another alley, and quickly scrambled back out onto the street, where he found a shrine. He ducked inside, where he finally dropped from exhaustion. Struggling to gain control of his breath, he peaked through the window, looking for the creatures, but the street was empty.
"Oh thank you," He murmured.
"Eliminate!" From the back of the shrine a door smashed open, and the three monsters all floated inside, surrounding the boy.
"No!" The boy cowered in fear as the three machines overcame him.
"Ugh!" One of the creatures was suddenly grabbed by its tubules and thrown into the roof. The boy gasped as he saw what had grabbed it: a beast, covered head to toe in brown fur, with green ears. It violently swung the mechanoid into one of its friends, knocking the second creature away, then slammed the first one into the ground and tore its metal shell open, ripping out the circuits inside. The other two robots backed away warily as the creature stepped away from its conquest, which to the boy's surprise began to dissipate into white flakes of dust that fluttered into the air.
"Eliminate!" One of the machines rushed for the beast, who jumped into the air and kicked the monster onto the ground, pouncing on him and smashing his fists into the creature's body. The third machine rushed for him as well, so the beast rolled off of the second one and snatched at his tubules, using him as a bat to knock the third one outside of the shrine and into the street outside, taking the second one with it.
"Wow…" The boy gasped, catching the beast's attention, who quickly snapped its gaze over to him. The boy gasped and began to back away, but the creature did not pursue him.
"Go." A deep, guttural voice escaped the creature's lips.
"T-thank you." The boy nodded in understanding, then jumped up and raced out the broken back door. The beast then turned his attention back to the two machines out in the street.
West Kyoto
Friday, April 13th
6:00 P.M
Raidramon slinked through an alley as the sun began to sink towards the horizon. He carefully peered around the corner, checking the street ahead for any signs of enemies. Finding none, he beckoned for the travelers behind him to follow. Koji, Tommy, and Majester gathered to his side and followed him as he darted across the street, finally arriving at their destination. They had spent the last two days surveying the area as they made their way from Otsu to West Kyoto, looking for signs of battle or enemy encampments. Wanting a good vantage point with which the survey the area, the group had decided to make their way to one of the towering skyscrapers on the west side of the city. Raidramon had marked the location while Koji and Majester snagged some binoculars and camping equipment from an abandoned outdoorsman shop. Finally having arrived at one of the skyscrapers, Dracomon used his talons to pry open one of the doors, and the foursome slipped inside.
"This place looks pretty secure," Tommy murmured to everyone's surprise, after they had spent the last hour or so in silence. Gazing across the lobby of the towering structure they had entered, Tommy failed to notice anything of interest. The building looked as abandoned as most of the other places they had come across.
"That remains to be seen," Raidramon responded quietly, "We still have the upper floors to survey." He nodded towards a stairwell entrance positioned on the far side of the lobby, then led the group to the entrance and up the staircase. They quietly breached the doorway to the second floor, fanning out into teams of two to look through the level. Finding nothing but cubicles and corner offices, they regrouped, and then made their way up to the third floor.
"Hopefully that's a good sign," Koji nodded down to the lower level as they approached the third floor, "If there's no one on the first two floors, there might now be anyone in the building at all.
"It certainly seems that way," Majester agreed, "However we should still be cautious." Koji nodded in agreement as Raidramon pushed the third floor door open, noting that the lights were out, leaving the level plunged in darkness.
"Tread lightly," Raidramon whispered as they stepped out of the doorway, their eyes slowly adjusting to the dark.
"Enemies detected…" A robotic, monotone voice spoke following Raidramon's warning, followed closely by a red light illuminating along the wall.
"Oh no." The thunder Digimon growled.
"Enemies detected…" More lights began to appear, illuminating the room, and allowing the four Digidestined to see what lined the walls.
"They're everywhere!" Tommy let out a quiet gasp.
"We need to leave now!" Raidramon growled urgently.
"Exterminate enemies! Annihilate!" Droves of Gizumon surrounded the group as they tried to fall back towards the door.
"Majester!" Koji looked to his partner.
"Right!" The dragon nodded. "Dracomon digivolve to… Coredramon!" The massive dragon Digimon sprung forward from the burst of light, which momentarily shocked the Gizumon. Not wasting the opportunity, he struck out at the nearest Gizumon with his tail, bowling him into the Gizumon behind.
"Slide Evolution… Flamedramon!" The fire-warrior lunged forward and elbowed one of the Gizumon away, then tackled another. The actions of the two fighters cleared a path to the doorway. "Tommy, Koji, run now!" Flamedramon ordered. Tommy wanted to protest, but before he could Koji grabbed his arm and dragged him out into the stairwell, then began rushing downstairs.
"What about our partners?" Tommy protested.
"They can fight better if they don't have to worry about our safety." Koji said through short breaths as they scrambled down the stairs. He stopped at the second level landing and pushed Tommy through the door, sliding inside after him. "We'll stay close though." Koji nodded. Before they could catch their breath, however, a startling crash from above caused them to jump as Coredramon came flying from the ceiling, a trio of Gizumon on top of him.
"Fire Rocket!" A series of flaming projectiles knocked the machines off of the dragon, and Flamedramon came down moments later.
"Thanks Flamedramon." Coredramon nodded as he sprung to his feet. Having no time to reply, Flamedramon thrust his fist out at a Gizumon that had come from the ceiling. Coredramon joined him as the monsters began to flood in from the upper level.
"Eliminate Enemies!" Before Tommy and Koji could attempt an escape, a string of Gizumon burst in from the stairwell.
"No…" Koji pulled Tommy in, concealing them both behind the door as Flamedramon and Coredramon struggled to fight off the onslaught of mechanical monsters.
"What do we do?" Tommy whispered.
"Quiet." Koji warned.
"Eliminate!" One of the brawling Gizumon caught sight of them behind the door and rushed towards them.
"Flamedramon!" Tommy cried. The armor Digimon quickly sprung away from the series of opponents he was fighting and jumped on the Gizumon, smashing him into the floor as Coredramon did the same with a series of machines. As he rolled off the dazed creature, a sudden groaning sound reverberated through the room.
"What's that?" Tommy gasped.
"The floor! It's buckling in!" Koji pointed to the center of the room, where the mass of Gizumon that had been knocked down by Flamedramon and Coredramon were beginning to get back up. Flamedramon sprang into action, grabbing the two tamers and pulling them into his chest just as the floor collapsed, and the mass of Digimon spilled into the lobby below. Flamedramon dropped onto his back, protecting the two boys from harm, but dropped them after he landed, letting the pair roll away harmlessly.
"Flamedramon are you okay?" Tommy quickly jumped to his partner's side.
"Tommy we have to go!" Koji grabbed the boy's arm.
"No I'm not leaving him!" He protested.
"Tommy, look." Koji nodded to the mass of Gizumon, who were recovering faster than Flamedramon and Coredramon.
"Go, we'll be fine, just get somewhere safe." Flamedramon ordered as the struggled to his feet.
"Exterminate!" One of the Gizumon flung himself off of the ground and at the defenseless trio.
"Move!" Flamedramon shoved the two boys away, towards the entrance, as the Gizumon tackled him in the back, slamming the dramon into the ground.
"No!" Tommy cried as Koji dragged him away. Tommy watched in horror, focused solely on his partner, as the Gizumon began to charge a particle beam attack, trained on the defenseless armor Digimon, when suddenly it was lifted into the air and whipped into a nearby Gizumon. The two creatures smashed into each other so violently their metal husks were bashed open.
"What the hell is that?" Majester, who had previously been fighting off a wave of Gizumon, was now staring in awe, as were his opponents, at the massive beast that stood in the room. The creature was taller than any of them, with brown fur and massive muscles. It grinned hungrily, revealing a row of razor-sharp teeth, while its eyes pierced through the Gizumon before him.
"Annihilate him!" The Gizumon spoke in unison, turning their attention from the wounded dragon Digimon they had been fighting. The beast flung his arms out wildly, thrashing against the metallic soldiers. Koji and Tommy watched in awe as the monster tore through the Gizumon, literally ripping one of them in two.
"How many times have I told you? Run!" Flamedramon struggled to his feet and pushed the two boys towards the exit. "Get somewhere safe! We'll meet up with you later!" Tommy struggled to stay, but Koji dragged him towards the exit once more.
"Come on Tommy! It's better that we get out of their way." Koji explained. "There are too many Gizumon for them to worry about to be worrying about us too!" Koji led the boy out of the building, where they quickly scrambled out into the darkened street.
"Hey!" To the boy's surprise, a young girl appeared before them, wearing a black dress. She grabbed both of their hands and pulled them away from the entrance to the lobby. "Come with me!"
